A photovoltaic system may use an electrical interconnect to couple a photovoltaic cell to a metalized substrate or another electrical terminal. Power generated by the photovoltaic cell may be transferred via the electrical interconnect to the metalized substrate. In concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell applications, optics may be used to concentrate sunlight onto the photovoltaic cell. Such systems may experience dramatic temperature differences (including changes over time and changes from one location to another location of a system) during their normal operation. These temperature differences and differences in thermal expansion coefficients of materials used in the photovoltaic system may apply significant stress to the electrical interconnect, the photovoltaic cells, and the metalized substrate.
Certain photovoltaic systems have used electrical interconnects that are capable of flexing to couple the photovoltaic cells and the metalized substrate in order to address the temperature differences or differences in thermal expansion coefficients of materials used in the photovoltaic system. However, these electrical interconnects typically have shapes that may be difficult or expensive to manufacture. For example, certain electrical interconnects include out-of-plane features, such as flexible elements that project up or down relative to a primary surface of the electrical interconnects. Forming these out-of-plane features may require additional processing steps, such as twisting the electrical interconnect to form the flexible feature.
Other flexible electrical interconnects may be formed with enclosed voids (e.g., holes) that may require additional processing steps to cut. To illustrate, a interconnect mesh with spaces or voids between traces of a conductive material may flex to accommodate thermal expansion; however, forming the spaces or voids between the traces may require additional processing. In another illustrative example, one or more other enclosed voids may be used between electrical connector pads of an electrical interconnect to accommodate thermal expansion. Examples of such enclosed voids include circular or oval voids formed in a conductor (e.g., conductive loops or torus shapes). Other examples include generally FIG. 8 shaped voids (e.g., double torus-shaped voids with a central portion between tori removed). Regardless of the shape of the enclosed void, forming enclosed voids in the electrical interconnects may require additional processing steps.